Can I Use That Picture?

With Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more, there’s more visual properties on line every day, leading to questions about whether you can use a photo or image you’ve found online to illustrate your own blog or other publication.

The answer is generally no – unless you have the permission of the person who created it. There are some exceptions, called “fair use” exceptions. But the safest course is to ask permission before using another’s photo or image.

Here’s a detailed description of the laws. Also, please see the infographic and post from a copyright lawyer to better understand when you can and cannot use an image you find online. And note that we were able to use this image because the author specifically stated online that it should be shared.